You have probably heard that yesterday a gentleman asserted from the bench in Bairdstown, that Sandy Burch, a lad 15 or 16 years of age had been tampered with by me, his priest, to perjure himself in favor of Adam Fogle.
As I value your esteem I wish to lay before you the following statement and surely you will think more equitably of me than the honorable Stephen Ormsby did, whom perhaps humanity would have induced to judge more favourably, if better informed of my character, or better acquainted with my principles.
In the course of last August, on a certain Sunday, after Divine service, I visited Mr. Walter Burch now one of the petit-jury. Being at supper, we conversed about Adam Fogle. I enquired of Sandy Burch, whether he had seen Robert Fogle at church? He answered in the affirmative. I then asked whether Robert appeared as lively and as cheerful as usual? Whether he did not appear sorry on account of his father's being likely to go to the gallows? Sandy, in the presence of his father, mother and the whole family, answered that, on the contrary, Robert had on that very day in the grave-yard at Pottinger's Creek chapel expressed a wish that his father should be hung. *
On my enquiring after the motive of so unnatural a wish I was told that Robert feared the resentment of his father if he were cleared.
Adam Fogle is no member of my church. But I wish any man, whether Christian, Jew, Savage or Mahometan to meet with justice whenever property, and much more his life is concerned.
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*The same speech was proved, by other witnesses, to have been uttered by Robert Fogle, on several occasions.
Note: S.T. Badin was the first Catholic priest to be ordained in the United States. He also performed the marriage of Adam's brother, Joseph and wife Margaret Clark.
The letter above was written to Felix Grundy.
